Remorse
by punkhermione
Summary: PostDH AU. Fem!Voldemort rules over Wizarding Britain, though all her horcruxes are destroyed. So when Hermione is captured, she swears there is a way to create more - and she can only help if Voldemort doesn't kill her. But is the shaky truce enough to keep Hermione alive, or will it land her in more trouble than she bargained for?
1. Chapter 1

Post-DH AU: Four months ago, all of Voldemort's horcruxes were destroyed, but Harry was seriously injured in the battle after his 'death' in the Forest. He escaped from the Battle of Hogwarts alive, but now Voldemort's control over Wizarding Britain goes largely unchallenged. The only exception is the Order of the Phoenix, who continue to rebel as best they can, while Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny hide out in the English countryside, helping Harry recuperate and planning their next move.

Fem!Voldemort.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

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><p>The stormclouds continued to gather over Diagon Alley. As Voldemort walked, her slim, pale fingers wound around a bone-white wand. The street was silent. It was after dusk, and tonight, only a pair of muddy rats outside of Ollivander's dared to defy the curfew. Her wand flicked, and the wind blew the rodents upward and in front of her, until they were floating above her open palm. She eyed them curiously. There was always a chance with animals that they were Animagi, but her luck failed tonight. The Lady Voldemort exhaled, and the rats squeaked fearfully as their whiskers frosted over. She laughed soundlessly and closed her hand into a fist. The cracking of their spines was audible.<p>

"Naga," she called softly.

The rats fell to the cobblestones, their noses still twitching. A young boa, its skin an unusual silver, slithered out from under her cloak. Its hiss of pleasure made Voldemort smile almost warmly. She continued to walk, leaving her pet to its feast.

The normally bright yellow shop windows were dark, the only light coming from the greenish flames of the streetlamps. The flats above the shops were equally darkened, curtains shut tight or windows charmed black. There was no sign of life, but the Dark witch prowling the road knew better.

She stopped before the steps of Gringotts and breathed in the cold city air. She raised her arms on either side of her and closed her eyes. Now was the witching hour, when her powers were strongest. It was time to test a new spell.

She breathed out, and a warm crackling of magic flickered out from her centre and along her arms, extending outward from her fingers in pale blue tendrils. Then they vanished from sight, and blasted outwards, flying through the air and brick walls, into bedrooms and crawl spaces, hungrily seeking out human heat. Voldemort grimaced in concentration as her magic flew further and further still, sneaking across every body in Diagon Alley. Perhaps they do not meet tonight, she thought doubtfully. Perhaps her spies had been wrong...

And then she felt it.

Warmth radiating from the basement of a flat on the outskirts of town, near the border of Muggle London. Two, four, ten bodies, leaching heat like a bright red target. She laughed, loudly this time, and the magic retreated instantly in her wand.

"Naga."

The boa returned to its hiding place, and she Disapparated.

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><p>Kingsley slammed his fist on the table, and the room fell silent. "Enough! Molly, the children are of age. If you wish to discourage them from this, you may do so outside these meetings. But here, we have no time to waste."<p>

The remnants of the Order of the Phoenix were gathered in one of the last true safe houses, in the flat of John Dawlish. The Auror, like many others, had long been a quiet supporter of Dumbledore's, but the defeat at the Battle of Hogwarts had convinced him of his loyalties. Still hesitant to participate fully in the Order's activities, he stood watch upstairs while the group met in the hidden room below the kitchen. There were ten of them present tonight. Molly and Arthur, who stayed with Percy, Bill, and Fleur at Shell Cottage. Kingsley Shacklebolt, who prowled the streets of London in disguise, gauging Death Eater movement and potential rebels. Minerva McGonagall, who had moved to the Northern coast of France with her nephews' families, harbouring a dozen of the youngest Muggle-born students from Hogwarts; she had returned to find as many first-year Muggle-borns as she could, to take them back with her. Neville and Luna, who together had led a group of older Muggle-born students all the way to Germany, had come back like McGonagall to seek out any more that needed help. Since Neville had been deafened in the battle, Luna's hand were frequently signing words to him while the others spoke. Hermione and Ginny were the only ones of the group who were fully in hiding. Harry had nearly died at the Battle of Hogwarts, and had lost the use of one of his legs. Together with Ron, they worked to help Harry recuperate and planned their next move. Tonight, Harry had run a fever from another infection to his slowly healing wounds, so the boys had stayed in their hideout, with Ron watching over Harry. All of them were scarred, but all of them had managed extraordinarily well in the last few months.

So it was not without reason that no one had agreed with Molly's protests when Kingsley suggested a blitz attack on Voldemort's troops, and none of the youngest Order members hesitated to volunteer.

Molly fumed, but stayed quiet. Arthur squeezed her shoulder gently. "Perhaps it's best to move on to the second point of order," he said calmly.

"That would be us."

Ginny and Hermione stepped forward, looking grim. "This is an idea that we've discussed briefly with Kinglsey," said Hermione, nodding at the tall wizard next to them. "But it would be a plan we keep between those of us here tonight exclusively."

"Harry and Ron are the exception to this," said Ginny. "Their vote is split one in favour and one against."

"So what is this plan?" asked Angelina.

"Capture," Ginny answered. "One of us surrenders to get on the inside of You-Know-Who's circle."

Protests erupted all around them. Hermione inched closer to Ginny, and discreetly took her hand.

"We aren't asking any of you," continued Ginny bravely, raising her voice above the din. "I would do it."

George shook his head, worry in his eyes. "Gin, no."

Molly's cheeks were angry blotches of red. "ABSOLUTELY NOT -"

"Molly -"

"That is pure recklessness," McGonagall interjected.

"- OVER MY DEAD BODY -"

"Quiet!" Kingley called fiercely, and the room calmed. "There is much to discuss. Miss Weasley and Miss Granger have already detailed a few points of their plan to me, and I would like you all to hear it before we call a vote."

"It would happen in two weeks," said Hermione, looking around the room. "I'll be back with Harry and Ron, but as Ginny said earlier, she will be part of the blitz Kingsley's just told you about, on the Lestrange estate. It gives us enough time to iron out the details, but it's soon enough that Ginny won't have any knowledge of where Harry is, or of any future Order attacks. She'll be the most wanted rebel there, high priority enough that she can take the place of anyone who gets in trouble."

"Forgive me, Miss Granger," said McGonagall gently, "but that may not be enough to guarantee her life once she's captured."

"You-Know-Who knows the rumours about me and Harry," said Ginny quietly. "Draco - well, any of the Slytherins could have told him that much. I'd be a valuable playing piece."

"Because of her age," added Kingsley, "and because she'll be cooperative, she has a good chance -"

"Hush!" said Angelina suddenly.

Everyone froze. After several moments in silence, Kingsley frowned.

"It could just be Dawlish keeping guard," Arthur whispered.

The other man nodded. He drew a small mirror from his coat and tapped it with his wand. The glass grew foggy until his face was completely obscured. "Dawlish," he whispered urgently. "How's your end?"

For a painful minute, there was no sound. Then a loud snore startled them all, making a few people jump. Arthur laughed, rubbing his forehead tiredly. "I can relate to that," he said, smiling. "We're far too tense down here. Let's make some tea and stretch our legs before we vote, shall we? Then we'll have time to get a few hours of shut-eye."

"I'm on board," said George brightly, but his face was just as drawn as the others' were. One by one, they filed up the stairs. Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand before she followed.

"What do you think they'll decide?"

Hermione sighed. "Honestly, Ginny, you'd have a better chance of convincing them to become Death Eaters."

"But you still think it's a good idea?"

"Gin, you know I never have -"

"But it's the best idea we've got!"

Hermione rubbed her eyes. "I know," she said quietly. "But I...I understand Molly, you know?"

Ginny bit her lip and breached the distance between them. Their foreheads rested gently against each other. "I know you won't let me go until you've figured out eighteen ways this can go wrong, and thirty-six back-up plans at least."

Hermione smiled. "You've got an awful lot of faith in me."

"Nah. Reckon I just know you too well."

A sudden crash upstairs interrupted them. Then the yelling began. Their eyes widened.

Ginny cursed under her breath and they ran up the steps.

A bolt of red flew past them as they emerged. Hermione ducked, stumbling directly into a Death Eater, who snarled and raised his wand.

"_STUPEFY_!" Arthur shouted, and the Death Eater toppled against the table.

There were eight of them clad in black and still standing, shadows from the candlelight flickering over their skull-like masks as they duelled. Kingsley was backed into a corner parrying the spells of two of them, while George and Angelina fought a tall man who jeered as he sent curses their way. McGonagall was surrounded by three Death Eaters, nimbly sparring them alone. Molly had freed Dawlish and they took on the Death Eaters who blocked the doorway.

"Ginny, Hermione, get out of here!" Arthur yelled, ducking a jet of green light that blasted into the fireplace, narrowly missing his head.

"The hell we will," said Ginny fiercely. She held on tightly to Hermione's hand. "I love you."

"I love you too," said Hermione quietly, drawing her wand.

They ran to McGonagall's side and aimed at the Death Eater on her left, sending him flying out the window with a pained cry.

They fought quickly, urgently, knowing they only had to dispatch enough to escape, but desperate to leave before any reinforcements arrived.

They weren't fast enough.

The reinforcements came swarming through the door; a half-dozen Death Eaters taking the places of those who had fallen.

"RETREAT!" Kingsley bellowed, now fighting back-to-back with McGonagall. "GO, NOW!"

Angelina grabbed ahold of George and Disapparated, as Dawlish managed to set his opponent on fire and Disapparated in turn. McGonagall wavered as a spell hit her chest, and Kingsley clasped her hand, vanishing with her.

A loud _BANG_ rang against Hermione's ears as she ducked a curse and spotted Ginny and her parents. Duelling five Death Eaters at once, they were slowly being backed against the bare brick wall of the sitting room. Ginny defended against her attackers with fury and strength, but the gap between her and her parents was growing wider. _Disarm, stun, curse if you need to_, Hermione thought, gritting her teeth as she blocked another spell and hurried towards them. _Not necessarily in that order_.

Then one of Ginny's opponents stepped back, a nasty snarl on his face, and her fist tightened around her wand, fear and dread roiling in her chest.

He aimed at Ginny. "_Avada -"_

He never had the chance to complete his curse. A rage Hermione had never felt before propelled her forward, and with the trained focus of an efficient Charms student, she rounded her wrist and made a swift but powerful arc through the air. "_REDUCTO_!"

The ceiling above the Death Eaters fissured and collapsed. Wood, cement, and piping came crashing down onto them, showering the room in plaster and dust.

Hermione raced to Ginny's side. "All right?"

"Thanks," said Ginny breathlessly, shaking her head. "Christ, Hermione, could've warned me -"

"MOVE!" Arthur yelled suddenly.

"_FIENDFERIO_!" a Death Eater roared. The blast of fire erupted from his wand, illuminating the dust around it like sparks as it surged forward.

They only had a split second to glance at the jet of Fiendfyre headed directly at them. Ginny turned, but before she could react, Hermione had pulled her with stumbling legs. "MOLLY!" Hermione shouted. Then she shoved the youngest Weasley toward her mother with all her might.

Molly reached for Ginny's arm, and the next moment, Hermione's world went dark.


	2. Chapter 2

No major warnings for this chapter.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

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><p><em>Harry. HARRY. HARRY -<em>

_Broken spectacles, the first time they met, and Ron's grip around her arm tightening desperately, painfully, Ron making a sound, so quiet, so broken, so soon after losing George, now this, not this, not real - _

_Ginny, GINNY, WHERE IS SHE -_

_Harry's voice, her confusion, her relief - the invisibility cloak, of course, you reckless brave brilliant IDIOT. Harry, when all this is over I'm going to bloody kill you but now I'm too happy you're alive -_

_The crash, Harry's cry by her side, the blood pooling around them and his face, his voice in agony, blood staining her wand but she couldn't be sure it was his, couldn't be sure it hadn't been there before -_

_Fix him FIX HIM stop the bleeding. Ice. Compress. Elevate. He's too pale he's lost too much blood HARRY JAMES POTTER YOU STAY AWAKE, WE ARE NOT LOSING YOU AGAIN. Ron, we have to go we have to go NOW -_

_WHERE IS SHE -_

_Oh, god, that face on the ground is so young. When did we stop being children?_

_Ron's knuckles going white, gripping Harry's hand while Hermione and Ginny worked, each in their ways - Hermione feverishly determined, Ginny tight-lipped but shaking slightly from the effort - Harry's wounds refusing to heal, at first, then slowly, but painfully -_

_Her hands on his as she asks, gently, "Are you afraid?" and he answers, tearful, angry, Harry, her Harry, afraid by the loss of his leg, afraid that his friends - all that is left of his family - may be caught, afraid that Voldemort is still in his head while he sleeps, even though he knows that the last horcrux was destroyed by its maker's own killing curse -_

_The rebel radio station back on the air, but Fred's voice is only static between Lee Jordan's words, and sometimes when Lee pauses you can hear the silence, the loss of two brothers to death and grief, and it breaks Hermione's heart to listen to it so she starts going for walks when the others turn the radio on, wandering the Forest of Dean like she used to with her parents, her parents dead or alive and thousands of miles away - _

_Seamus and Dean voicing a rallying cry on air, then Neville and Luna calling all Muggle-borns to protect each other, sending them a single message over and over: to hope, and to escape - _

_Kingsley's name ringing through the campsite after they hear his voice on the radio, Ron shouting it in a mixture of relief, surprise, admiration. Ginny finding Hermione later than night and hatching a plan to meet him. Messages encoded and sent by a multitude of Patronuses, because the group's happiness is much harder to muster these days, and Harry is too exhausted to try - _

_Meeting with Kingsley and the others, slowly growing the number of their secret group, the Order of the Phoenix rising as it should, from ash - _

_GET OUT -_

_ambush -_

_NO -_

_GINNY IS SAFE -_

_GET OUT OF MY HEAD -_

_GINNY!_

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><p>She woke up screaming.<p>

"Shut up," a voice next to her barked, and the hard point of a boot connected swiftly with her stomach, leaving her gasping for air.

A second voice, smooth like the edge of a knife, spoke her attacker's name like a cold warning. "Lucius."

Hermione backed herself against the wall, breathing harshly. She was on a cool stone floor, facing the shoes of Lucius Malfoy. He gave her a disgusted look as he stepped back.

The Lady Voldemort took his place. Her dark eyes studied Hermione intently, and the young witch could almost see the reddish gleam everyone spoke of. Voldemort smiled.

"Pity such a clever mind is so easily fooled by expectations."

Her voice was clear and cool, like a stream flowing in winter before the frost. Taken aback by her words, Hermione shivered despite herself.

"What do you mean?" she asked, sounding braver than she felt.

Voldemort's smile widened. "Red eyes. I'm afraid you've been taken in by legends of me."

Hermione frowned. The woman before her was...different from what she'd imagined. Softer. More beautiful. Strangely...alluring.

"Now, Hermione," she said softly, "I want you to think about Harry for just a moment."

Hermione's frown deepened. She felt strangely lethargic, her thoughts hazy. No...Can't tell her...Harry? Oh, God, where was - what had happened? Harry...His leg had been infected - Ron had stayed behind...Behind from what? _Focus_, a voice said gently. _Harry...the Forest of Dean_...By the creek, Hermione finished for the voice. In the grove that...why did her head hurt so much? It was so painful to think, the forefront of her mind suddenly crowded with images of Harry and Ron and Ginny, while a voice at the back of her mind shouted...but here, this voice was so lovely..._Harry is in danger, Hermione...Find him. Where in the Forest is he hiding?_

Then the burst of pain at the back of her head made her eyes open wide, and she stared into the gleaming black eyes of Voldemort.

_HERMIONE, OCCLUDE._

Immediately the sweet voice changed into a snarl. _Tell me, or Ginny Weasley dies_.

But Hermione was alert, now. _You don't have her_.

_Not yet_.

_PROTEG-_

_Ah, ah. No wandless magic while I can stop the very thought of it. I leave when I am finished. And we are not finished, you and I. Not in the least._

_Fuck you_, Hermione thought venomously, letting her anger cloud her mind as she rearranged her thoughts._ This is what you get from me._

And without warning, she let her memories of the horcruxes fill her brain. Pieces of Voldemort's soul screaming as they died, the objects tossed aside, broken, discarded with no more regard. All of the Dark witch's efforts broken by teenagers. All of her hatred, the murder, the magic, made worthless in a matter of minutes.

She could feel Voldemort's rage building, but her attention was locked on Hermione's memories. Hermione took her chance.

"_PROTEGO_!"

A sharp pain like a knife slicing through her brain - then Voldemort recoiled, her dark eyes staring down at Hermione with cold fury. Hermione stared back defiantly, relishing her triumph.

"_Crucio_."

The pain was absolute. Every muscle, every joint and bone, every cell on fire, stabbed deeply with twisting knives, stung by poison running through every pain. Then her head hit the floor and her world went black.

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><p>"Lucius."<p>

"Shall I continue, my Lady?"

"I see no need." Voldemort gave Hermione a knowing look. "Miss Granger has been generous. Tell Fenrir to gather the wolves. Every last one is going into the forest. They leave as soon as possible. In the meantime, summon the Twelve. We have a great deal of house calls to make." She smiled. "Including the Weasley's latest rat's nest."

Hermione's eyes widened. "I never told you -"

Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "Shell Cottage? Bellatrix retrieved that information hours ago. Do you not remember screaming? She said you were ever so forthcoming. You were hoping Ginny Weasley was safe and sound."

Malfoy smirked. "I hear the Weasleys have a new addition to the family. We'll take special care of him, you can be sure."

Hermione blanched. "I don't understand - I don't r-remember..."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Well, you have until your execution to r-remember."

But Hermione was struggling to her feet. "You have to leave them be," she said desperately, her mind frantically searching for her memories of what had happened before she woke. "They're innocent of - they haven't been involved in the rebellion - Bill and Fleur only take care of the baby, you can't..."

"We can," Malfoy interjected impatiently. "My Lady, shall we?"

"Go," said Voldemort quietly, her eyes fixed on Hermione. "We have no more time to waste." Her mouth had curved into a small frown. She drew her wand as Lucius bowed and hurried out the door. Her slender fingers brushed the pale clusters of elderberries along the white wood.

"I'll make a deal," said Hermione quickly, doing her best to avoid the other woman's eyes. "I can tell you where Harry was meant to go next."

"You would sacrifice your best friends for the Weasleys?" said Voldemort curiously. Then she smiled. "No, not all of them. You believe Ginny Weasley is there." She shook her head. "That won't do, Hermione. If we don't capture Harry in the next few hours, we will still have the Weasleys. The Weasley girl will speak to protect her family. It is how these things go."

"Leave her be," said Hermione fiercely. "I can be a spy. I'll be an asset to you, I will, I can tell you everything about the Order's plans, just leave them be."

Voldemort shook her head once more as she raised her wand. "That is far from enough. Goodbye, Hermione Granger."

And then Hermione saw the ring. The same broken stone Dumbledore had worn on his crippled hand until his death, atop the simple gold band around the Dark witch's middle finger. Hermione raised her head and stared straight into Voldemort's eyes.

"I can make you a new horcrux."

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><p><strong>Please R&amp;R!<strong>


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